Wire guides are commonly used in procedures, such as angioplasty procedures, diagnostic and interventional procedures, percutaneous access procedures, or radiological and neuroradiological procedures in general, to introduce a wide variety of medical devices into the vascular system or into other vessels of a human or veterinary patient. For example, wire guides are used for advancing intraluminal devices such as stent delivery catheters, balloon dilation catheters, atherectomy catheters, and the like within body lumens.
Typically, the wire guide is positioned inside the inner lumen of an introducer catheter. The wire guide is advanced out of the distal end of the introducer catheter into the patient until the distal end of the wire guide reaches the location where the interventional procedure is to be performed. After the wire guide is inserted, another device such as a stent and stent delivery catheter is advanced over the previously introduced wire guide into the patient until the stent delivery catheter is in the desired location. After the stent has been delivered, the stent delivery catheter can then be removed from a patient by retracting the stent delivery catheter back over the wire guide. The wire guide may be left in place after the procedure is completed to ensure easy access if it is required.
Wire guides are used extensively and are available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Because wire guides are so useful, it may be necessary to purchase and store a great many varieties in order to meet the needs of users. For example, wire guides having differing stiffness may be required for different procedures. This requires that hospitals and other users to purchase, store, and inventory a great many varieties of wire guides to meet all situations and needs that may arise.